More Snow Fun

Well it warmed up a bit today so I got Elyana outside to play. I've been wanting to help the kids build a snow fort or tunnel. So, I began digging today and didn't stop until I came out the other side. I also was trying to get a few pictures of our record breaking snow accumulation. Still trying to find out what the grand total is so far. I'm guessing over 40" though. Playing in the snow still feels new to me as I grew up down south. Each winter, there is always a snow first for me and digging a tunnel today was one of those moments.




The girls have been really busy this winter break. Play dates, movies, and Chucky Cheese...wow, it's no wonder they are so tuckered out.




On a sad note, my Aunt Barbara died this week. My thoughts are with my family in Birmingham, AL and my prayers are with my mom as she travels there tomorrow for the funeral.

More Hats

A friend of mine purchased a crocheted hat from a craft fair. I wanted to see if I could replicate it. It took twice as long as it has to make my other hats, but I like the final result. My only problem is it isn't my style. I'm thinking of selling it...

Here is my friends hat.


Here is the one that I made.



I also wanted to include a few pictures of one of the gifts we bought Mikayla. We got her a science kit that explores several types of science (meteorology, paleontology, chemistry, etc.) She started with digging up a dinosaur. Ellie even helped. It took her several hours of chiseling, brushing, rinsing, etc. Once every bone was found, she had to put the dinosaur together.

Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful Christmas! We stayed home this year and it was so relaxing.

Christmas eve we went to church.


We came home and ate up some homeade Pull bread. This is a family tradition for me. We always went to midnight mass on Christmas Eve and ate this bread before bedtime. I think they call it Monkey Bread around here...


When we got home, we started a new tradition where the girls had purchased a present for one another. We let them open each others present after church.


Then it was time to prepare for Santa. In preschool, Ellie made reindeer food. Here is what the bag said:


So, we placed the bowl outside with the "food" in it. After they went to bed, we not only had to eat the cookies placed out for Santa, but make it look like the reindeer ate their food. My mom thought of using salad tongs to make their footprints. I tipped the bowl a bit, tossed some of the food around. I even went a step farther and cut some "fur" from a reindeer ornament we had.


This year my mom passed on to me her Christmas houses collection. Next year I want to add trees, snow, and people!


On Christmas day, we went sledding as a family. That is such incredible exercise!






We worked up an appetite for a Christmas dinner of ham, rice, broccoli, and rolls, and pumpkin pie. Yum! Here is Elyana blowing out our Advent candles.

Elton Hills Elementary School

This quarter, Mikayla earned the personal achievement award for her class. Nate and I went to her assembly to watch her get it. She didn't know about until her name was called, so it was neat to see her surprise. I wish I had a better camera, so the first few pictures are fuzzy.







This bit of news caught my eye today,"We’ve already broken the record for the most snowfall in a month here in Rochester with 37.8″ measured to this point, but Mother Nature doesn’t seem to be finished producing snow for us just yet. Another storm system is taking aim on the region, likely affecting us Thursday into Friday morning before clearing out and leaving us dry for the actual holiday weekend. " Totally crazy! Rochester's snow removal has already blown through it's budget. Needless to say that the "snow mountain" at Mikayla's school is the largest they've ever had. This is something I never got to experience as a kid at recess-playing on the snow mountain that the snow plows make from clearing the parking lot. Elyana has a blast playing on it as we wait for the school bell to ring. I have to admit, it's fun for me to climb up with her.

Nintendo Wii

Elyana is really hooked on playing Mario Kart on the Wii. If no one is around or too busy to play with her, I've been finding "friends" set up ready to play. Monkey and Belle shared a Wii remote and they totally lost to Ellie!



Here is another rare moment I captured on my camera. Mikayla reading to Ellie.




We hired a sitter and finished our Christmas shopping today. We're trying to get them to bed so we can wrap everything. We will be home for Christmas this year. Our first guest is visiting tomorrow yet we're concerned about the weather. I can't believe we're going to get dumped on again by Mother Nature! Ellie doesn't even want to play in it because it's deeper than her! I'm also getting sick of the high temperature for the day being in the single digits. Ah well, that's life in Minnesota!

Hats and Mittens

Once my friends showed me the basics of crocheting, I discovered the following series of instructional videos on YouTube on how to crochet a hat. My first couple of hats were not the best, but I have been crocheting hats non stop until my thumb cramps up. Great videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJwHAPFKVBY

These are my favorite 2 hats so far:




On another subject, Elyana has been having issues dressing herself in winter gear at preschool. She hasn't been getting the snow pants secure over the boots and her boots fill up with snow. By the time I pick her up, she is complaining of her cold wet socks. Today, I fastened her in her car seat and yanked off her wet socks. Thinking fast on how to warm up her feet, I put my thick warm gloves on her feet. She giggled and I did too because we realized she looks like Ponyo. Ellie hasn't wanted to take the gloves off and has been flopping around the house like a duck. Very silly looking!

Meeting Santa

School was canceled yesterday. The school district was still trying to dig out from the blizzard. So, both kids had to come with me to a cleaning job in the am. They were so good for me that I rewarded them with lunch at the mall (which we've haven't done in years) and then they went to visit Santa (something they've been wanting to do). It's the same Santa that Mikayla has talked to each year since she was a baby. He's very into his job. When he saw the girls he pulled a measuring tape from his pocket and exclaimed, "Look how much you're grown since last year! Let me see how big you are now!" Then, he winked at Ellie and said, "Last time I saw you, you were sleeping and making funny snoring noises!" The girls just beamed and loved every minute of it. I also like that the girls only asked for one thing each.

Christmas Celebration in WI

This weekend we traveled to Oakdale, WI to celebrate Christmas early with Nate's family.

Here are the girls frosting/decorating sugar cookies that Nate's sister Connie (on the left) made.


Ellie playing with the flour used in the making of the traditional Doobas bread.


Ellie when she received her gift of Santa and towels from Joanne (Nate's mom).


Joanne showing everyone her doll stroller she received as a child that Babe (Nate's dad) refurbished.


It took a lot of work to dig everyone out after the blizzard.


Nate and his sister Nancy digging out the vehicles.

More About Colds

Mikayla caught Ellie's cold and has been out sick the last two days. I wanted to keep her home one more day, but she was going on a class field trip to see the Nutcracker. It was another sleepless night so I'm very forgetful today. I went through the Walmart checkout and realized I didn't even have my purse with me. I went back to the van (carrying Ellie) and as I was heading back inside Ellie says, "Let's try this again!" She made me smile. We got home and we were eating lunch together. Ellie got down before she was excused. I called, "Ellie, please come back and take a few more bites of noodles." Once again today, she surprised me as she did a little song and dance back into the kitchen and exclaimed, "As you wish!" I love both of my kids sense of humor. I can't imagine life without humor!

Pillow Fort

Elyana has a cold again. It's the type of cold that has her coughing through the night, but during the day, she's fine. So what does this sleep deprived mom do after lunch today? We made a fort and read some books. I still remember the forts I made as a kid under the dining room table.





Speaking of pillow/blanket forts, I couldn't help thinking about a recent Community episode. Now THAT was a fort!
http://www.nbc.com/community/video/conspiracy-theories-and-interior-design/1261064

Nutcracker Tea Party

Once again, Mikayla and I went to the Nutcracker tea party. I actually had gotten tickets for Ellie to come with us this year, but she was kindly invited to go with a friend to another one. So, I let Mikayla choose a friend for us to bring along. She wanted Molly to come. The girls received bags when they walked in the door and they got to "trick or treat" to each of the Nutcracker dancers. Then, we sat down for some dainty treats and hot chocolate. Once we were full, the dancers did a mini version of the Nutcracker just for us. Then, the children got to dance with the dancers. It was a fun event and I'd like to make it a tradition. Hopefully some year, we can go see the Nutcracker ballet also.